Page 78 of Taken By the Pack

Her fingers tangle in Jake’s hair, pulling him closer. The truck fills with the sound of their breaths, soft gasps, the rustle of fabric.

Then Ash moves. His hand slides up her leg, under her dress, and she jolts, a sharp inhale breaking the kiss.

Jake grins against her lips. “Relax, sweetheart.”

She doesn’t argue. She just melts against him as Ash’s fingers stroke higher. I glance in the rearview mirror, catching the way her lashes flutter, the way her lips part on a breathy little sound?—

I laugh. “Damn, you really are spoiled.”

She doesn’t even open her eyes. “You guys always take care of me.”

Jake kisses her again, swallowing whatever else she was about to say. Ash keeps going, his movements teasing.

By the time I pull up to the beach shack, she’s wrecked. Jake’s grinning. Ash is smug. And she—she’s breathless, cheeks flushed, legs unsteady as she tries to sit up.

I twist in my seat, smirking. “My turn.”

She groans. “I’m not a damn ball to be passed around.”

I reach for her, pulling her into my lap, fingers gripping her thighs. “Never thought that.” Then I kiss her, deep, hard, swallowing her next breath.

She gasps against my mouth, nails digging into my shoulders. I shift beneath her, pressing her down, dragging my teeth over her bottom lip before pulling back just enough to see her face.

“You good?” I murmur.

She nods, dazed. “Yeah.”

Jake chuckles. “Drink water before you pass out.”

I reach behind me, grabbing a bottle, and press it into her hands. She grumbles but drinks, tipping her head back.

Ash opens his door. “Let’s eat before Rowan gets any more ideas.”

I grin, helping her out of the truck. The beach shack is small, tucked between dunes, the ocean just beyond it. The sign is faded, the wooden deck a little warped from the salt air.

“I’ve never been here,” I admit, looking around.

The second we step inside, a burly guy behind the counter looks up and grins. “Jake.”

Jake lifts a hand. “Hey, Marco.”

Marco gestures toward the kitchen. “You need the usual?”

She raises a brow at Jake. “The usual?”

Jake smirks. “Trust me.”

We settle into a booth, and a few minutes later, plates hit the table—grilled shrimp, garlic butter fries, fried plantains, and some kind of seafood stew that smells like heaven.

She takes one bite and groans. “Okay. You were right. This is ridiculous.”

Ash nods. “Yeah, what the hell, man? You’ve been holding out on us.”

Jake hesitates, then sighs, pushing his plate back slightly. “I used to come here with Lila.”

Silence.

Ash leans back, watching him. “Lila?”

---